Opinion
…democratic hypocrisy, wayo Freedom fighters.
By Omoruyi Liberty Omorogieva
THOSE who said they fought for the actualization of democracy in Nigeria are now the greatest threat to democratic practices in Nigeria.
They pride themselves on the Nadeco movement, the IBB must go movement and the annulled June 12 election movement, yet they are doing worse than the naked powers of military juntas.
The institutions that were constitutionally set up and constitutionally empowered and saddled with the responsibility of conducting free and fair elections in Nigeria have been comatosed and turned to be a puppet by the same people who continually tell everyone that they fought for democracy.
The independent electoral commission (INEC) conducted governorship elections on September 21st 2024. The process was widely rigged all over the state. Vote buying was massive, voter oppression, suppression and disenfranchisement were on a high scale. The result on the Inec portal was different from the one on paper and, by the new electoral law, when the result on the Irev portal is different from the one on paper, the Irev portal result stands. Yet INEC declared Monday Okpehbolo of APC to be the winner of the Edo State gubernatorial election after seeing and witnessing all these flaws.
Seeing all these inconsistencies, the candidate of the PDP, Asue Ighodalo, approached the court to seek an assessment of the electoral processes and materials.The court granted him and the party to check and also mandated INEC to allow Asue Ighodalo of the PDP to have access to every electoral material that was used. As at the time of writing this report, INEC had refused to comply with the court ruling and the Inec chairperson is nowhere to be found. INEC members of staff have refused to comply since their chairperson is yet to give his directive.
The APC has mobilized thugs and non-state actors to INEC offices and environs not to allow Asue Ighodalo and the PDP to gain access to the INEC despite court rulings. The question now is, if the APC really won, why are they afraid, why are they running from pillar to post. A sinner is always on the run when no man pursues him.
Omoruyi Liberty Omorogieva writes from Ugbowo Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
A.I
Oct. 7, 2024
Tags: INEC Monday Okpehbolo Omoruyi Liberty Omorogieva
